Welcome to our TOPS Site
This site is hosted by the 0458 chapter of TOPS and not sanctioned by TOPS Club, Inc.
TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) is all about change. Change is hard. It is challenging. That is why it is difficult to do alone. As we make changes in our habits and in our bodies, we leave behind so many things. Yes, we leave behind some favorite foods and comforting habits, but there is more.
In order to really change, we have to leave behind our fears.
Fears of failing
What if I do this and don't lose the weight?
What if I lose the weight and then gain it back, again?
Fears of success
What if I lose the weight and I still don't feel good about my life?
What if I lose the weight and in the process give up things I really enjoy?
Sometimes we have to leave behind our image of ourselves.
What will I be if not the cheerful fat girl laughing at herself?
What if I begin to like looking in the mirror because I can see my own beauty and not just my size? (By the way, the beauty is there no matter the size, but because society tells us something else, we sometimes forget that about ourselves.)
We might even have to give up relationships.
How do I deal with that friend who insists I have a second piece of cake?
What happens if friends or family start to feel threatened and insecure because I don't look the same as I always have?
We may feel limited by our past. The voices that made us believe that we deserve less than the best and allowed us to settle for food as a way to comfort our feelings and frustrations.
We may feel limited by the future. The uncertainty of what life will look like at the end of the journey. If we give up the mindless, emotional eating, what will take its place? What will fill that emptiness that draws us to eat the entire box of cookies?
That is what brings us here. We each have our own mountains to climb, but we know we cannot do it alone. We need support and encouragement from each other. We need a safe place with friends who won't judge us when we stumble because they know how difficult the path can be. We need a place where others will celebrate our smallest victories instead of doubting our ability to make it to the end. We need a place that makes us accountable. A place where we can't hide and pretend that our lives can begin tomorrow, or next week, or sometime after the holidays.
Through this site, I hope to offer encouragement, support, and maybe a bit of inspiration. I am 100% open to feedback, ideas, and even criticism. If you have anything you would like to add to the site, please let me know either at a meeting or through personal contact.
In order to really change, we have to leave behind our fears.
Fears of failing
What if I do this and don't lose the weight?
What if I lose the weight and then gain it back, again?
Fears of success
What if I lose the weight and I still don't feel good about my life?
What if I lose the weight and in the process give up things I really enjoy?
Sometimes we have to leave behind our image of ourselves.
What will I be if not the cheerful fat girl laughing at herself?
What if I begin to like looking in the mirror because I can see my own beauty and not just my size? (By the way, the beauty is there no matter the size, but because society tells us something else, we sometimes forget that about ourselves.)
We might even have to give up relationships.
How do I deal with that friend who insists I have a second piece of cake?
What happens if friends or family start to feel threatened and insecure because I don't look the same as I always have?
We may feel limited by our past. The voices that made us believe that we deserve less than the best and allowed us to settle for food as a way to comfort our feelings and frustrations.
We may feel limited by the future. The uncertainty of what life will look like at the end of the journey. If we give up the mindless, emotional eating, what will take its place? What will fill that emptiness that draws us to eat the entire box of cookies?
That is what brings us here. We each have our own mountains to climb, but we know we cannot do it alone. We need support and encouragement from each other. We need a safe place with friends who won't judge us when we stumble because they know how difficult the path can be. We need a place where others will celebrate our smallest victories instead of doubting our ability to make it to the end. We need a place that makes us accountable. A place where we can't hide and pretend that our lives can begin tomorrow, or next week, or sometime after the holidays.
Through this site, I hope to offer encouragement, support, and maybe a bit of inspiration. I am 100% open to feedback, ideas, and even criticism. If you have anything you would like to add to the site, please let me know either at a meeting or through personal contact.